Wing of Love 2 - A Change of Heart

-----  The Boy in the Woods  -----

Scootaloo came out from her kitchen while talking on her phone with her adoptive mother, Rainbow Dash. It had been twenty years since she had been adopted, making her twenty-seven years old. A few days ago, she had finally packed up her last boxes, moved out and found an apartment which was just a floor below the one her father, Feather Racer, had had his first home. She checked herself in the hallway mirror, yep the same semi-long magenta hair and tough look. Maybe a bit small nose, but it was little to do about that.

“No Mom, I got it under control. I can do it on my own.” She said, slightly annoyed. Rainbow had been bugging her, asking if she needed help with the moving.

“Yeah I know you can, but if you get any difficulty, just call okay?”

“I will. Thanks Mom.” She ended the call and looked around her. Boxes were still stacked in heaps around the living room with some furniture already in place like drawer, sofa, table and such.

She opened a box and found it was her trophies and diplomas. There was her graduation diploma from the Wonderbolt Academy and another from Cheerilee's class with a group photo of all of her classmates with her, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle hugging in the front. It brought a smile to her face as she remembered the club the three of them had had.

Deeper down in the box she found a couple of trophies and medallions from the different flying competitions she had attended. She started placing them up on the drawer. Things were a bit different nowadays. Sweetie Belle had moved to Canterlot to follow in her sister's footsteps and was working on become a designer and Apple Bloom was working as a baker together with her boyfriend, Rumble.

Scootaloo hadn't really thought too much about getting a boyfriend, sure most of her friends had one, but she didn't see the reason to rush it. She wasn't saving herself for someone special either, she just hadn't really met a guy that had caught her eye. She had been on a few dates with some of the guys she had been racing against, but they had turned out to be mostly muscles-heads that hadn't done anything than brag about themselves.

She was brought back to reality by her phone ringing again. This time it was Fluttershy calling. What in Equestria could she want?

“Hi Fluttershy. How’s it going?”

“Oh, I’m fine, thank you. I heard you moved out. How is that going?” Why were everyone so concerned about how she was doing with the move?

“I’ll manage. Still a few boxes to go.” A look around was more than enough to tell it was more than a few left. “So why are you calling? It must be for something more than just to ask about me moving.”

“Uhm, well yes, there is something more. I mean, if you got time in between all the outpacking.”

“Of course I can help. Anything for a family friend. What’s the bother?”

Well, I was suppose to watch some cats for Carrot Top, but one of them escaped through an open window and ran into the forest. Big Mac is working today and I have to watch the other ones so they don’t do the same, so if you and Michael could-”

“Say no more Fluttershy. I’ll be there as soon as possible.” Scootaloo grabbed her jacket and put it on.

“Oh thank you, it really helps a lot. See you soon then.” Fluttershy hang up.

Michael Appleseed was Fluttershy and Big Macintosh’s son,  a bit younger than her own brother, Cloud Jumper. She had been babysitting him when he was younger, but now he was twenty and didn’t need one, but he still asked her about how it was to meet the Wonderbolts at the academy. He was a flyer, something that was normal since children tended to be the same type as their mothers.

Scootaloo checked that she had the apartment key in the pocket and grabbed a mini flashlight from the drawer. even though there were midday,it was usually pretty dark in the Everfree forest. She went out the door and locked it, smiling a bit when she saw the door number. Apartment number twelve, that number made her think about Cloud Jumper and she wondered if he was well where he was before she went on to meet up with Fluttershy.

It took only half a minute from Cloudsdale to the Cabin where Michael and Fluttershy was waiting outside. Michael had his normal dark blue shirt an orange with wings and a pair of worn jeans. She landed and Immediately took him in a headlock and rubbed her fist hard into his short, orange hair, a thing she did every time they met.

“Hello Fluttershy. Hello Michael, I see you still aren’t stronger than me.” He tried to break free from her grip, but she kept the orange angle locked.

“Owowow, fine. You win. Let me go, that hurts.” Scootaloo let him go. Fluttershy just smiled at the two and their little fighting. He usually wasn’t the type to give in, but against her special treatment he broke down easily.

“So what kind of cat are we looking for. Is it a totally white one?” That would at least make it easier to spot.

“Well no. It’s orange with black stripes and with white paws. I saw it heading to the left of the path to Zecora’s house.” She pointed in the general direction. “But that was five minutes ago so he could be anywhere by now.”

“Should try luring him out with lasagna.” Scootaloo mumbled to herself. “Okay then. Common Michael, let’s find that stupid cat. You got some catnip so we can call it out?” He held up a small bag of something that looked like bread crumbs, but smelled strongly of fish.

“Here, you take this since I already got one. You go a bit to the right there and I can look to the left there.”

“Good thinking. Let’s move out.” They started heading toward the forest.

“Be careful though! I heard some pretty scary sounds from in there last night.” Fluttershy yelled after them.

“You shouldn’t take it that easily, Scoots.” Michael said. “I heard it too and it was pretty creepy. It sounded like a manticore attacking something that came with a terrible scream.” He shuddered thinking about it.

“Well they are pretty shy for people as long as they don’t provoke them so there is not much to be scared of.” She took out her flashlight and shined it in between the dark trees. The branches here in the outskirt grew so close together they almost formed a solid ceiling with just a few rays of sunlight got through.

“I’m not scared. I’m just worried about whatever angered the manticore.” He pulled out a flashlight of his own. “I hope it got away. They are pretty vigorous with their victims. I once found the remains of a rabbit. It was mostly just bloody bones left.”

“Geez Michael. You don’t need to draw the picture for me.”

There were no traces after the cat in the mud. “Let’s widen the search. Go look over by those boulders over there while I check the thorn bushes over here.” They went their separate ways while still being able to see each other.

The bushes were pretty thick and the thorns was like needles, trying to rip her jeans and poke holes in her legs. She manage to traverse it without getting too bad scrapes, but her pants had seen better days. She shined around in the bushes and noticed a little bundle of orange hair on one of the lower branches and a few specks of red led on further into the thorn hive. She continued after the traces while shaking the bag to try to make it come out from wherever it was hiding.

“Here kitty kitty. You shouldn't be out here all alone. Come here you little hairball.” She heard a weak meow from some rocks in the middle of the bush maze and a little cat face poked over the top and looked at her. “There you are! Thank Celestia. Come here and get some goodies.” She opened the bag, but the cat disappeared back behind the bushes.

“Hey Scoots, have you found him yet?!” Michael yelled over to her. “It’s not over here at least!”

“Yeah, it’s hiding over here in between some rocks! I’m going after it!” She started walking over to where the cat had retreated to. A small speck of blood was on the rock were the cat had been standing. It was probably still hurt and scared which would explain why it ran away.

She saw it shimmy further into the pointy branches until it reached a sort of small clearing where it started to meow painfully.

“See? I told you you shouldn’t be out here alone.” She said to it as she got closer. “Now you probably gotten a thorn in your paw or-” She stopped as she came to the little cleared area.

There, in the heap of sharp thorns, broken twigs and a small pool dried deep blood was a boy. He looked to be just a few years older than herself with pale grey skin and very torn up clothes. He was lying completely still with the cat on his chest, licking its own wound. He had some serious cuts on his arms and legs, especially the one going diagonal just below where the cat was sitting and another rather nasty one in the head, but he seemed to still be alive. His thin, bug-like wings poked out from under, making the already convinced Scootaloo even more sure that what was in front of her was a changeling.

“Hey Scoots, are you finding that cat or what!?” Michael yelled from the thorn bushes. She would have punched him if he hadn’t been so far away.

She didn’t really know what to do now. On one hand she could try taking him to Fluttershy and ask her to help him, but if he woke up and attacked in panic, she would be an easy victim. No way she was risking her taking care of someone that dangerous.

On the other hand, she couldn’t just leave him out here to slowly die from the injuries either. She could take him back to her place, but then she had to send Michael home first or else he would blabber to everyone about it. Changelings were kinda witch-hunted nowadays after the incident a while back, but to let something so humanlike die like this was something she couldn’t bring herself to do.

“Scoots, are you alright in there?!” She snatched the cat from his chest before it could run off again.”

“Yeah I’m alright. The little bastard manage to hurt himself on some thorns, but he seems alright otherwise.” She trampled back to him, giving herself an extra hundred scars. She could just have flown back, but she didn’t want to startle the cat even more. “Could you take him back to Fluttershy? I just have to check something I saw over there.”

“Don’t tell me you found whatever angered the manticore last night?” He took the cat Scootaloo gave him. “I thought you said it was disgusting just hearing about it.”

“Of course it is, I’m just gonna... check something. Get the cat back home so Fluttershy can check on the wound and make sure it’s not infected.”

“Fine, just be careful out here. There might be something more dangerous than manticores out here. Maybe even a changeling.” He said mostly on joke before heading back home with the cat in his arms.

She ignored the comment and flew back to where the changeling was laying. She could hear him breathing with a slight gurgling like he had something in his throat, probably more blood. She carefully checked his pulse, a bit afraid that he might just jump up and bite her in the neck. His pulse was weak, but stern. Good, still alive enough to where he didn’t need a hospital. She took off her jacket and helped him up before putting it around him, mostly since if people saw her carrying a changeling into Cloudsdale they would both been stoned out, or rather clouded out.

“Hhng... angel.” He suddenly mumbled. People with wings used to be called that just as magic users were called mages, but he hadn’t opened his eyes so he must have been dreaming something. She decided to ask him on a more appropriate time and took off through the leaf roof, avoiding any branches that could hurt him even more and heading towards her flat.

She got home and behind her door with the unconscious guy without meeting anyone. She took off his destroyed clothes down to his underwear and cleaned and bandaged his wounds with alcohol, but he didn’t grinch as she did so. She placed him in her bed to make him rest properly and she sat by just looking at him for about twenty minutes.

He looked more peaceful  now with a small smile on his lips, showing his slightly longer corner teeth. His short black hair was still sticky with blood which he had to wash out. He had a healthier grey look now although she didn’t really knew what was healthy for them. She wondered how he would react when he woke up in a totally different place. Probably not good, but she had to try to calm him down when he did. Just as she thought that, he started mumbling more and slightly opened his eyes.

“Ooow, my head. Bloody manticore.” He mumbled and took himself to the head and noticed the bandage.

“You should try to keep still, you’re still hu-” She started, but he jumped up on the bed, his face filled with fear and anger.

“Hissss!” He hissed at her and tried to jump her, but she wasn’t going to go down easy.

She stood up, grabbed him mid air and pushed him up against the wall. She used her left hand to hold him by the throat and her right hand to hold his right hand so he couldn’t use that to get a chance to attack her face.

He hissed at her again and started swiping at her with his free hand, but she managed to keep an arm's length from her face. He got in a good swipe at her shoulder where his nails made four cuts by the start of her collar bone, but he also managed to cut the straps of her orange tank top and bra.

For a second they both froze with him staring at what he just did and her just as shocked. A fire lit in Scootaloo’s eyes and the grip on the changeling’s neck tightened. He seem to regret what he did, but it was too late. She let go of his wrist for a second before giving him a strong right hook that sent him to the ground.

He got up on all four and spit out a tooth with a bit of blood, but it didn’t really bother him since changelings could go through ten sets of teeth in a lifetime. Scootaloo tied the bra and top’s strops back together. Luckily nothing had shown, but still. She went over to him and stood towering over the boy that wiped the blood from his mouth, spreading her wings to look more intimidating.

“Okay listen up, I just saved you from a slow and painful death. I am risking being thrown out of both home and society by helping you, so either you behave or you can fly home to your hive or whatever you changelings have. Got that?” He gloomed at her hatefully, but nodded. “Good. Now let’s try this again. Hi, I’m Scootaloo.” She reached her hand out to help him up.

“Zcootaloo?” He rolled his s’es so they sounded like z which made it seem like he had an accent.

“Yes. Scootaloo. Do you have name or are you all just called changelings?” He took her hand and she pulled him up.

“Only thoze in the inner zircles get’z namez. The rezt of us are juzt changelingz. Why are you even helping me? Aren’t I your enemy?”

“Enemy is a pretty strong word, more like very different races that hate each other. Even so, I couldn’t let you lie there with those wounds.”

“Well, uhm, thank you anyway."

“So you don’t have a name? Well, I better give you one. I can’t go around calling you changeling. Also, you can’t look like that outside. Here it’s okay, but with other people, you need to look different.” He cocked his head and looked around the room.

“What about thiz?” He got encased in a short burst of green flames and suddenly her father stood in front of her. She quickly turned around since he was still in his boxers and saw he had copied the picture at her bedside.

“No, you can’t use that and don’t copy people from my photos.” She put the photo with her family in the nightstand drawer.

“How about thiz then?” A new burst of fire and this time it was herself standing in front of her. She covered up her own chest on instinct and gave him, or rather herself, a mad glare. The bandage covered over most of it and since she were a bit flat chested it wasn’t much to show either, but still.

“Don’t you have a form you usually use, something that’s not connected to me or anyone I know?” He thought for a second.

“Okay, I think I got one.” This time he changed into a guy with deep purple hair and flaming red wings.

“Okay then, that’s a good one. Now for a name. Have you ever thought of one you would like?” He changed back to himself and shrugged.

“Cloud Jumper?” She blanked out as he mentioned her brother’s name. How had he gotten that name?

“I- Is that a name you have picked up somewhere?”

“Yeah, I found a list over the missing people after what happened awhile ago.” She pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Well you can’t use that, other than it being disrespectful for the person, you risk not looking like them if someone knows them and meets you. We’ll just come up with one later.” He suddenly cupped her cheeks and without warning, kissed her.

It didn’t really feel like a kiss, it was more like him trying to suck the air out of her only it was something else. She started to feel lightheaded before she came over the shock and pushed him away, but he didn’t seem fazed by what he did.

“Oh, iz that why you didn’t want me to uze that name.”

“What the fuck what that?” She couldn’t believe the guts on this guy, first trying to attack her and now kissing her. “What do you mean by that anyway?”

“We changelingz can zort of read mindz thiz way so we can eazily reflect the feelingz and reactionz to people we copy, but I can limit it to zertain thingz they try to hide from me like just now.”

“Well don’t do that. Some things we humans want to keep to ourselves and besides, it’s not what we do, going around kissing random people, I mean. You should be glad I already hit you or I would’ve slap you for that.”

“Well you got a pretty good right hook.” He rubbed his chin that had started to swell up.

“Follow me and I will find some ice for that. You feel good enough to walk right?” He took a few tempting steps on the spot.

“Zeemz zo, a bit of a pain in the thighz, but other than that i feel good.” She followed after her to the door, but stopped by her clothing drawer and looked at a picture of a guy with sky blue wings and rigged yellow, orange and red hair with the text ‘Cloud Jumper’ on the frame.

“Hey, you coming Change?” Scootaloo called.

“Yeah, coming!” He put the picture back and went out into the kitchen.

End of Chapter 1